AI Agents used:
Editor Buddy, Expert Buddy®, Training Buddy

“I’m logging into Avatar Buddy® every day, multiple times a day, and getting real value from our own data.”

Village of Hazel Crest Police Department

The Village of Hazel Crest Police Department is a small municipal agency in Cook County, Illinois. Like many local departments, its staff carry multiple responsibilities and work to meet high community expectations with limited people and time. From April to June 2026, Hazel Crest partnered with Avatar Buddy® on a three-month pilot of Managed AI as a Service. The goal was to cut down on paper-heavy work and make day-to-day police work more efficient. That had to happen without adding IT burden or giving up control of department data.

The Challenge

Supervisors, investigators and records staff spent much of their day on administrative work. They checked reports for missing details, looked up municipal ordinances and department orders, and answered the same training questions again and again. Much of this depended on paper manuals, memory and a few experienced people. Removing sensitive details from records before release was done by hand and could take 15 to 20 minutes for a complex document.

The team needed a solution that could:

• Speed up report review and records work, with people still making the final call
• Give staff fast, reliable answers from the department’s own codes and orders
• Support new recruits without pulling trainers away from their own work

The Avatar Buddy® Solution

Hazel Crest’s ordinances, general orders, policies and training materials were loaded into a secure Data Vault. Three AI Agents were then configured to match Hazel Crest policies and Illinois law:

• Editor Buddy: reviews narrative reports and gives a first pass on removing sensitive details from records.
• Expert Buddy®: a quick reference for municipal ordinances and general orders.
• Training Buddy: answers recruits’ questions and supports report-writing practice.

Reviewing reports and preparing records

• Flagging missing details (who, what, where, when, how and why) that could cause problems in court or follow-up investigations
• Suggesting clearer wording while officers keep their own voice
• Identifying personal identifiers and protected information under Illinois criteria, with records staff approving every final document

Finding the right code or order, fast

• Answering from the Data Vault first, and only from the Village of Hazel Crest Police Department web page if the answer isn’t there
• Linking to every source used, so answers are easy to verify
• Accessible from office desktops, laptops, phones and squad car computers, by typing or speaking questions like “What is the correct code for a party noise complaint?”

Supporting new recruits

• Answering everyday questions like “Where do I put this detail on the report form?”
• Giving structured prompts and checklist-style guidance for report practice
• Answering only from department training materials, never the open internet

In June, the team also designed a prototype AI-supported electronic evidence form. It was explored as an early concept and was not used in live cases.

Results: Less Time on Paperwork, More Consistent Answers

Early use showed real potential to reduce time spent on paperwork and lookups, especially for non-sworn staff. Records staff, supervisors and investigators had one searchable place to confirm the right code or policy, and a consistent first pass on report review. Trainers had support for the routine questions that come with every new recruit.

Key Outcomes

• Faster records work: less time spent removing sensitive details from documents that went through Editor Buddy.
• More consistent standards: the same criteria were applied every time.
• One source of truth: staff stopped digging through long PDFs or relying on memory to find ordinances and orders.
• Better recruit support: feedback from new recruits was that Training Buddy is helpful.

Client Testimonial

“What I love about Avatar Buddy® is being able to say, ‘Only use these sources and give me the answers I need.’ That level of control really matters. If I didn’t have Avatar Buddy®, I’d absolutely be paying for another AI tool. Instead, I’m logging into Avatar Buddy® every day, multiple times a day, and getting real value from our own data.”

Strategic Impact

Hazel Crest’s experience showed that the best place to start with AI in a police department is non-sworn staff: records, supervisors and training. When those teams work more efficiently, sworn officers gain time for core police work and carry less administrative load. Every answer came from the department’s own data, and every final decision stayed with its people.